I Saw Death

Gasp.

"What's going on...?"

He couldn’t move. His legs and arms felt broken. He tried to open his eyes but stopped.

It felt like something was burning him. Slowly, painfully, he forced his eyes open—and realized he was being buried. There were five other bodies around him. He didn’t know what had happened.

Looking up, he saw a group of people laughing. Their laughter was twisted—happy, even joyful—as they threw dirt over him.

Whose body is this...? he wondered. Why do they seem so happy I'm dead?

Finally, the grave was covered. He was buried with the rest.

YENZA... THAT'S MY NAME.

I was just a normal student stuck in the same boring cycle—day after day. Nothing ever changed. I never had fun. I never tried to improve myself.

The boring cycle.

My parents? They’re both dead. They ended their lives for reasons unknown—reasons that didn’t include me. Not even once.

I lived alone. No one cared if I lived or died. No one would ever notice.

That night, before I was transported to this world, I was returning from a long study session. I held my academic award in my hands—proof that I was smart. But it didn’t matter. I felt useless in real life.

After freshening up, I went to the rooftop and lay down, staring at the vast, majestic sky. I started thinking about my life.

Have I even made a real decision...?

And then—I blacked out.

When I woke up... I didn't know where I was.

The first thing I saw—was death.

But somehow... that felt interesting to me.

»…»…»…….

The grave burst open. My broken limbs felt fine again. Night had fallen, and I looked up at the sky. It was different, but beautiful.

Rain poured down as I pulled myself out of the muddy grave. Dirt covered my body. I didn’t know where I was, who I was now, or why I'd been killed.

The body I was in looked young—maybe 19 or 20 years old. Still, he had been killed.

Not far away, I saw a light. A village, maybe.

“Is that a village...?” I whispered.

I decided not to go there just yet. Not directly, at least. If I went now, I might meet the same people who killed me. It was safer to stay hidden in the woods nearby.

“I’ll go in the morning,” I muttered, resting beneath a tree.

»..»..»………

The Next Morning

Sunlight reflected on my face. I opened my eyes to a bright sky and took my first full breath in this unknown world.

As I entered the village, I saw children playing. One kid, however, sat alone under a tree, distant from the others.

Loneliness... looks like it exists in every world, I thought.

I sat beside the kid. He glanced at me and asked, “Hey, mister. Are you lost? Or just enjoying the view?”

“Something like that,” I said. “Why aren’t you playing with your friends?”

“Friends?” the kid scoffed. “I don’t consider them friends.”

“You’re new to this town?” Kid asked.

“Yeah. This village is called Vozno Village,” he replied. “My mom and dad always say Vozno is the most beautiful village in the Novaz Continent.”

“What do you want to do when you grow up?” I asked.

“I want to learn more about Lyth. I already know the basics. Wanna see?”

He focused his hand, and I suddenly felt a strange pain in my soul.

“You felt that?” the kid asked.

“Yeah... what was that?”

“That’s binding Lyth magic,” he said. “You should have some too. What’s your Lyth like?”

I had no idea what he meant. “I, uh, feel weak today,” I bluffed. “But I’ll show you mine some other time.”

“I gotta go now,” he said. “By the way, I’m Judi. What’s your name?”

“I’m Yenza.”

“I don’t usually get close to strangers... but you feel special, mister.”

Then he ran into the village.

»..»..»………

I entered Vozno for the first time. It was beautiful—white skies, a large port, ships docked with all kinds of strange symbols. Some even looked like pirate ships.

I stood there, lost. I didn’t know what to do. I had no goal or purpose.

All worlds... they all seem useless to me.

“Useless?” a voice said.

I jumped. “Who said that?”

Is it in my head...? I wondered.

“No, brat. Down here.”

I looked down. A granny was standing there with a stick.

“You were the one making that noise? You witch!”

Whack! She hit me with her stick.

“Ow!” I groaned.

“Don’t call your elders witches!”

“Okay, is there a better name for you?” yenza teased.

She smirked. “When I first saw you, I thought you were the quiet, shy type. Never judge a book by its cover.”

“You look hungry. Want something to eat?” she asked. “My house is nearby.”

“Is it a witch’s house?” I joked.

“I’ll kill you, brat.”

She paused. “You seem curious. Ask me anything. I won’t judge.”

“Where is this place? It looks... magical.”

“Every house here is made from Haxe wood, found in the Haxidean Forest nearby. It’s resistant to basic Lyth magic. Some houses are shaped by air magic.”

She stopped. I looked at her.

“What?” she asked.

“There’s a slope. You didn’t tell me your house was on a hill!”

“Carry me, then,” she said, smirking.

Grumble... My stomach answered for me.

“Yeah, yeah... hop on.”

I carried her up the hill. At the top, I saw the full view of Vozno Village. It was... majestic.

“Admiring the view?” she asked.

“Who wouldn’t?” I replied.

Her house was surrounded by a flower garden. The air was calm and cool. It felt like peace.

As I sat, admiring the beauty, she brought me hot tea.

“Now we can talk,” she said.

Snapping out of my trance, I nodded. “Yeah... but about what?”

Whack! Another hit to the head.

“You look like someone with no purpose,” she said. “Tell me everything. I’ll tell you even the darkest truths.”

I took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do... where to go.”

“You’re new to this continent then,” she said.

“Yeah.”

“This place is one of the oldest in the world. There’s much to explore. In a few days, ships from the port will depart. People from other lands will come. You can join them.”

Maybe I should. Sitting here won’t help me. This world already feels more interesting than the last.

“Hey! You there?” she said.

“Huh? Yeah... that could work. But which ship? Where does it go?”

“There’s only one way to leave. A passenger ship. You’ll recognize it. Even if it looks like a pirate ship.”

“That's a passenger ship?” I asked.

“Yep. Don't be picky.”

“You sure know a lot, huh?”

“More than you, brat.”

“You forgot something, though,” I said. “Introductions.”

“Oh, right. Everyone has flaws. My name is Luzie.”

“That’s a pretty young name for an old—”

Whack! “Don’t push it.”

“I’m Yenza.”

“And where are you going now?” she asked.

“To apply at the port.”

“Do it tomorrow. They’ve probably left for the day. Plus, you need Valz.”

“What’s Valz?”

I didn’t ask, but somehow I knew—it was the currency. A silver-diamond-looking coin.

“You’ll need two. I can give you that,” she said.

“Then what’s stopping you?”

“You, brat. You need to earn it.”

“Fine. Give me a job. I’m ready.”

She smiled. “That’s the spirit. Rest now. Tomorrow, your journey begins.”

As the sun began to set, I lay near a tree on a cliff. A soft breeze cooled my body.

I closed my eyes beneath the sky of a strange new world.

                        ………..★…………